Don't Say You'll Miss Me
by i-am-anthem-made
Summary: Igorance is bliss, Nico is alone. Jason hates the ignorant, And the ignorant are the source of the problem.


Nico walked with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground sullenly. He wasn't sad- well okay, he was. He just _couldn't _help it. The boy he loved and had loved for years now, was with the _girl_ of hisdreams. Not only was Nico in love with a boy he couldn't have because he was in a relationship, but he wasn't even _into guys. _

He felt endlessly foolish every time he thought about it, hating himself and everything else for what he was. He was _gay. _Where he came from, that was worse than being unfaithful to your respective partner or being risque when you were too young. Being gay was the worst possible thing that people thought could exist, and he knew it, too. It's not like he asked to be this way. He just _was. _He sighed, kicking the rocks underfoot and walking faster, surpassing the giggling couple and stomping to the dining hall. He took a seat next to Jason and Leo, the two being the only ones he ever talked to anymore. Sure, Hazel was great and all, but she had Frank and the better end of the deal. She'd never understand his position, and considering she was from the same time as him..Well, she'd never accept him even if she tried.

Leo turned and looked at Nico with a crooked half-smile. He knew the boy was sad. When wasn't Nico sad?

Jason was, thankfully, nowhere near as oblivious as Percy was. He gave Nico a one-armed hug and raised an eyebrow at the younger boy's sulky look. "Wait for it. Five...Four...Three...Two..." Percy and Annabeth came stumbling into the dining hall, his hands on her hips and her laughing as he whispers something into her ear and then kisses her. Nico flinched the second their lips touched and Jason grimaced at Nico's flinch. He hated seeing Nico in pain, though he felt completely platonic about the boy. Jason was never the biggest fan of either one of the members of the couple;; Annabeth was too bossy and though she was exceptionally smart and wise – he'd give her that – she was much too nosy and rather self-righteous, if you asked him. Percy..well, anyone could admit that he was brave and a great leader and such, but he was extremely oblivious and never knew when to shut up. Not to mention the two of them together put his friend in pain, which contributed to the reasons of not to like them. But apparently everyone, including Jason's own girlfriend, was absolutely enamored by Percy and Annabeth, as a couple and as individuals. He knew the girls had "girls nights" and that Leo would always _beg _Percy to help him with sparring practice. He knew that everyone else at the camp looked up to the pair and saw them as invincible when they were together, which he supposed he could understand. They were a great couple, but it was just wrong.

Jason's gaze became cold as Percabeth waltzed over to their table and plopped down next to him, Jason being the only one in between Nico and the pair. Nico bit his lip, looking over to Leo to start a conversation. Jason inwardly groaned and he turned to the boy and the girl next to him. "So..how are you two?" It was a lame attempt at a conversation, but he didn't care enough to actually _try_ to hold a discussion with them. "We're simply lovely," Annabeth squealed. "Percy asked me to marry him! We're engaged!"

Next to him, Jason felt Nico stand up, look at Percy(who was looking at Annabeth in awe), and sprint out of the dining hall. Jason turned on the newly-engaged couple and glared menacingly. "So, Annabeth, if you're the smart one here, can you tell me why he just did that?" Jason was well aware why. So was Leo. Piper, who was sitting across from him, gasped at the anger in his tone. He didn't care. Annabeth deserved a little berating every once in a while. She needed to be put in her place.

The daughter of Athena looked at him with an eyebrow arched, ready for a challenge. "Well obviously because he loves me and it simply breaks his heart to see _me _with someone else." Jason laughed a fake, crisp laugh that didn't belong to him. "That's where you're wrong, Wise Girl," Jason responded, using Percy's favorite nickname for her. Coming from him, it sounded mocking, which Jason was smug about. Goal achieved. Annabeth looked at him, glaring now. "Oh, so if he doesn't love me, then who does he..." The look faded from the girl's face as she and the rest of the camp, who was now listening, understood finally why Nico ran. Why he _always ran. _He wasn't running from the campers, or Annabeth, or Jason or Leo or Hazel. He was running from his feelings. His feelings that happened to be aimed at Perseus Jackson, the boy that was now engaged to the girl of his dreams. Annabeth's mouth opened to form an 'o' as Percy _finally _caught on. He gasped and Jason laughed, not because it was funny that he was so slow, but because he knew what was happening. He knew Nico was just pushed to the edge and gods only know what he might do now.

"While you two are planning your wedding and living obliviously, I'm going to go save _your,"_ Jason said, jabbing a finger in Percy's chest, "friend. Wasn't he _your _friend since the start? Weren't _you _the one who got his sister killed, but _he still saved you, .time?" _Jason took a deep breath, looking at his girlfriend. "If you want to stay with them, you can. I understand, since they're the end-all, be-all for everyone here. But if _any _of you care," he said, addressing the whole room now, "then come with me now. Cause we have a Ghost King's life to save."

The Stolls, Leo, Piper, and a few random Aphrodite cabin kids joined Jason's expedition. Jason nearly died of laughter when he pushed Percy and Annabeth back into their seats, after they tried to go with him. "You're the reason we're doing this right now, you ignorant assholes." He had growled at them, simply furious." Percy looked like a kicked puppy – _Good, _Jason thought – and Annabeth grabbed his had and sat down indignantly. Jason and co. sprinted out of the dining room and ran to the most obvious place to check first; the Hades cabin. Nico was sobbing, curled up in the tangle of blankets and sheets covering his bed. Jason and Leo, being the closest ones to Nico, walked toward him mumbling soothing words. The younger, heartbroken boy whipped up to look at them and he screamed, a loud, mangled scream that Jason and the rest were positive the rest of camp heard. He continued screaming until he finally just stopped, mid-scream. He abruptly closed his mouth and set his jaw, standing up and changing right in front of everyone, into jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Thank you for being my friend, Jason. You too, Leo."

Then in a flash of shadows, the son of Death was gone. And so was the air from Jason's chest as he realized what the boy was about to do. He collapsed onto Nico's bed, unable to pull himself together, and felt a crumpled piece of paper beneath him. The son of the Sky read the note then screamed just as Nico had moments before. Before when Jason thought he was just leaving camp, leaving them. Not _leaving _leaving. Jason sobbed into his girlfriend's arms, admittedly not the manliest thing to do, but he didn't care. His best friend was probably dead by now.

-break-

The second Jason was out of the dining hall, Percy made Hazel shadow travel him and Annabeth to the Underworld. The guards outside explained they hadn't seen their master's son since weeks ago, but that didn't mean anything to Percy. He _knew _the boy would come here if he were going to do anything.

He wasn't really affected by realizing that Nico loved _him. _If anything, he was more clear-headed, and everything made sense now. Everything Nico had done, literally _everything, _was to save or help Percy in some way. Because he cared and he loved him and he was the best possible friend Percy could've had...and now Percy's the reason he might be dead. Of course Percy didn't love Nico, he had never even _thought _of Nico that way. After about ten minutes of stumbling around the Underworld, he saw something in his peripheral. That something happened to be the son of Hades, thankfully still alive. _At least for the time being, _Percy thought sadly. They ran up to Nico and he looked at Percy's face with nothing but anguish. His eyes flicked over to Annabeth and he watched as Percy intertwined their fingers. The younger boy laughed bitterly, stepping backwards. "You do know where in the Underworld we are, right?" The boy gestured to his surroundings. Hazel apparently knew, for she screamed "No!" and broke down in sobs. The son of the Sea looked curiously around before he knew, too. The River Styx. Nico was going to drown himself. Percy bit back a cry as he looked at the boy who loved him's face.

"You're better than this, Nico. You don't have to do this, you can be happy still. You'll move on, maybe fall in love with a boy and have a family." Percy tried to help, but Nico's sobs just became louder and more frequent. Suddenly Jason and co. appeared next to them, briefly explaining that the gods decided to give them a favor and deliver them to where Nico was. It was all Jason had in him not to lunge at Percy, and he told him so, too. Percy gulped and looked at Nico, who was barely a foot away from the edge of the River. Nico looked at Jason, Leo, Piper, and Hazel. "You kept me sane. I love you all, my best friends."

The son of Death then looked at Percy and Annabeth, both who were now on edge. "Don't say you'll miss me, when it's your fault I'm gone."

The boy jumped.

Percy's chest felt crushed.

And that was the last time anyone saw the son of Death alive.


End file.
